The Aftermath of War
by Third Person Point of View
Summary: Oneshot. Takes place after the war. Tobias is mourning at Rachel's grave when something unexpected happens. Rated M for sexual content. TxR pairing. Please read and review!


DISCLAIMER: I do not own Animorphs or any of the characters. I wish I did, but I don't.

Author's note: For all you fans that wish the series had continued and that everything had ended the way it was SUPPOSED to end. I know, the books are great and I love them the way they are, but hey... a girl can dream, right? Anyway, I guess it gets kind of sappy at the end, but I hope I didn't give anyone cavities. Read and review please!

He knew that tomorrow this very grave would be crowded with people, but he wouldn't be among them. He'd watch from a branch in the tree beside the spot. He knew there would be tears, but he would shed none. He wouldn't be able to. He knew questions would be asked, but he would ask none. There were no more questions to ask. He knew answers would be given, but he'd get none. There were no more answers to be given. He knew his friends would look up at him with sorrow in their eyes and say everything without saying anything, but he wouldn't respond. He didn't have to. But today… today he'd stand by the grave, today he would cry, today he would ask and answer, today he'd say everything without saying anything, today he'd respond.

There was a cold breeze blowing from the west and it blew his unruly dirty-blond hair into his sad eyes. He didn't mind. He'd been cold a long time now and no matter how hard the wind blew, it couldn't make him any colder.

"Worth mourning over?" came a sudden voice from behind him.

He didn't move, didn't look back. Maybe they'd go away and leave him alone if he didn't make eye contact, if he didn't show interest. "Very."

"Hmm. How long ago did she die?"

Tobias's brow twitched, annoyed. "When she was fifteen, four years ago."

"Fifteen. Wow. She must have been pretty lame to die so young."

He flared his nostrils angrily and clenched his teeth. "No, just the opposite in fact."

There was a moment of silence. He hoped that the person had walked away, but he knew better. They were still there. He could feel them.

"I heard she was a total bitch."

"What the hell do you-" he began, wheeling around furiously. He stopped dead. He blinked hard once, twice, shook his head and blinked again. "No… you're dead. I saw you… Rachel?"

Rachel smiled beautifully. "Sorry, Tobias. I had a mission."

Tobias raced to her, grabbed her, and kissed her without another thought. She was real and warm and soft and… and alive. Rachel was alive. He tangled his fingers in her hair and she hugged herself tightly to him as their lips parted and their tongues met. They tasted each other, a taste neither of them had forgotten despite the years. This was still Rachel, Rachel like he'd always known her. She ran her hands through his hair. There were tears running down both cheeks and they could taste the salt of them in their kiss. When they finally broke away, Rachel barked a little laugh and sniffed as Tobias wiped her tears away gently with his thumb. He smiled at her.

"You are a bitch," he said and they laughed, still holding each other tightly.

"Yeah, I know. I missed you."

Tobias kissed her again. "Oh God, I missed you too. You said something about a mission? What mission? For who?"

"The Ellimist," Rachel replied. Tobias gave a look and she stroked his hair reassuringly. "Don't worry, I learned from your mistakes. He said it was a mission that only a dead girl could do, so I told him my price and he agreed."

"You always were smarter than me. What did you ask for?" he asked, looking her over as if he was afraid she would disappear and leave him again.

"Two things. The first was that he had to bring me back completely. That meant with all my memories, my morphing power, just the way I was when I left and he had to bring me back as if I had aged with all the rest of you."

Tobias laughed and kissed her again for a long while. The kiss ended sadly. "Rachel, I have to morph back. I'm almost out of time."

Rachel nodded, looking him straight in the eye. "I know."

Tobias stepped away from her and closed his eyes to concentrate. He waited for the familiar changes to take place. He waited…

His eyes snapped open and he looked down at his still human form.

"No," he murmured. He looked up at her and she was still staring at him. "Rachel I can't… I can't change. Rachel I can't go back!"

"I know," she said again, still looking him in the eyes. "I know."

Tobias's face fell as it suddenly dawned on him. He had frozen, his arm still raised in front of him. "Rachel… what was the second thing?"

She didn't say anything.

"What did you ask for Rachel? What was the second thing!"

"That you be completely human again, just the way you were, as if you had aged with the rest of us…"

Tobias took in several short, gasping breaths, shaking his head. Emotions ran rampant on his face for once. Something blocked the sun and he looked up out of instinct. A bird. He knew the kind of bird well. It was a red-tailed. It was swooping down out of the sky towards him. He lifted an arm to defend his face. Sharp talons bit into the soft flesh of his arm, drawing blood. He opened his eyes and straightened, but the bird stayed perched calmly on his upraised arm. He looked up at it, then at Rachel.

"…with your morphing powers," she finished.

He stared at her for a moment and she stared back. He shot his other hand out and took hold of the bird's leg. He could feel the acquiring effects on the bird. When he was done, he let go and the bird disengaged and flew off, a normal bird again. Tobias looked at Rachel.

"You did that… for me?" he asked slowly.

Rachel walked to him and put her arms around him. "I did that for you. Of course."

For a long time, neither of them was able to say anything. Finally, Tobias pulled back and smiled.

"Your family, Jake and the others… they're all going to be so happy. We have to tell them," he said.

She pushed back a strand of his hair from his face. "We will. We will… but tonight, I just… I want to be with you."

He was surprised as he looked into her blue eyes. Eyes he hadn't seen in so long. She was telling the truth. He nodded.

"Okay."

The door to Tobias's house was practically kicked in. He and Rachel burst in, tangled with each other, lips locked together and working furiously. Tobias led her blindly through the empty house that sat on the edge of the woods to his bedroom.

"How did you…" Rachel began between kisses, "get this.. house?"

"Turns out…" he replied, ripping her coat off, "when you're a… war hero… the government has a… special bank account filled to the brim… with money that they… throw at you… and houses set aside… for your special needs… and now that I'm over eighteen… I'm allowed to own and live… here… all by myself. I share it with… Ax."

"Fascinating. Shut up."

He did as he was told and they rammed their way into his bedroom. Her shirt went flying to land somewhere out of sight. His followed soon after. She landed with a grunt on her back and sunk into the comfortable, unused mattress. She smiled and helped him get her out of her pants. They followed both shirts and he held himself on top of her, hesitating.

"Rachel?"

"Yeah?"

"I, uh…" he moved a lock of hair from his face with a flick of his head. "I've never done this before."

"Good, then we're on the same page," Rachel responded and grabbed him, pulling him down to kiss him.

It was enthralling. The mere fact that they could take their time, no limit, no pressure, drove them both to a peak that was almost dizzying. They eased into it, into each other, getting to know everything there was left to know.

She ran her hands over his body, stripped of all the baby fat of youth. He was hard and lean, the result of war and its aftermath. His own hands were wandering, carefully taking in the supple curves and the soft, warm skin. He trailed a finger over her breast and she pressed against him involuntarily. He did it again, smiling at the way her brow twitched and her mouth worked on its own. She grinned deviously back up at him and lowered her own hand until she made contact with him and he flinched, throbbing. She gently caressed and he moaned. Her grip tightened and her movement became steady. His head dropped and she heard him curse. He couldn't take it any more and he thrust towards her, kissing her as he meshed with her.

Rachel held him tightly, rocking back against him, cries slipping from her mouth. Tobias supported her with one hand, himself with his other. Sweat dripped, heat built up, cries rang out, fists were clenched, until it was over with one last, long outcry and they both sagged, spent.

When he had regained his breath, Tobias turned to her. "Rachel, there was something I never told you…"

"I know," Rachel said, cutting him off.

She rolled over onto him and smiled down at his sad, hopeful, dreamy hazel eyes… eyes that she could look into for hours without having to worry about time and consequences. He held her as she bent to kiss him gently.

"You never had to."


End file.
